InterOffice Cooperation
by Aleia15
Summary: Byakuya has been assigned to deal with the Dispatch Management Division and he's not exactly happy about this. But he might have found a kindred soul there.


**Inter-office Cooperation**

There was a Division in Soul Society they never talked about. It wasn't that it was secret, like the King's guard, it was more like it was... embarrassing. And it was Byakuya's new obligation to deal with them. The Harvesters. Or, as the 11th called them, those freaking pansies.

Byakuya had never agreed with that name before; they were Shinigami, even if they wore tree pieces suits and handled gardening tools instead of zanpakutous. They weren't supposed to be fighters in any case, that was the entire purpose of the Gotei-13.

They were bureaucrats, always buried in paperwork and collecting souls from Earth. They did their job, and they were competent, that was all Byakuya needed to know about them.

Then Byakuya met Grell Sutcliff, and the word _pansy_ was pressing against his lips even as he counted the ways Sutcliff was breaking the dress code of his Division. Among other things.

"I need to speak with the one responsible for this Division, I am Kuchiki Byakuya, Taichou of the 6th Division of the Gotei-13," Byakuya said formally, trying to sound composed and not as if he thought Sutcliff needed to be left in the hands of the 11th for an indeterminate amount of time. It would either kill him or make him look like a man, either one was good enough for Byakuya.

And it fit perfectly with his plans.

"Oh, Undertaker is on Earth right now," Sutcliff said, batting long eyelashes that had to be definitely fake, his voice making him look even more effeminate. "Will, one of those stiffs from the Gotei is here for you!" he shouted at a deafening level, looking over his shoulder at the closed door of an office.

Byakuya felt his hand itching to grab his zanpakutou, and would have ripped that _pansy_ to shreds had the office to the door not opened at that precise moment, some kind of gardening tool extending impossibly to hit Sutcliff squarely in the face.

"Don't keep Kuchiki-taichou waiting, Sutcliff, show him in." A cold voice emerged from the office, cutting and loaded with disdain. "And be respectful for once in your life!"

Byakuya didn't know who was at the other end of that tool, but he already liked him.

"Not the face, Will!" Sutcliff whined, clutching his nose and turning to Byakuya again, crimson drops falling through his fingers. "In there, please, Kuchiki-taichou." The voice came muffled and pained and Byakuya resisted the urge to smirk.

He entered the office and his first impression of the man inside only reassured him of his previous thought. Will, or as the sign on the desk read William T. Spears, was a bespectacled Shinigami with perfectly combed hair and a respectful black tree pieces suit neatly pressed. He was sitting ramrod straight, a long clipper resting against the wall at his back, and he was looking at Byakuya unflinchingly.

"Kuchiki-taichou, please do take a seat," William said, pointing briefly at the chair in front of the desk.

Byakuya nodded his head. "Spears-taichou," he began and saw William shaking his head.

"With all due respect to your position, we don't use those titles in this Division. We're civilians, not soldiers. You may address me simply as William."

"William then," Byakuya acquiesced with a slight smile. "I've come to introduce myself to your department, since all the duties concerning the Harvesters have been transferred to my Division."

"We call ourselves Dispatch Management, not Harvesters, Kuchiki-taichou," William corrected him with a faint hint of disapproval in his voice, and Byakuya made a note to reprimand whoever put the information about the Dispatch Management Division together for him. They had missed something as simple as the name.

"I apologize, William," he said formally, "the information concerning your Division has recently been brought to my attention and it seems not to be as accurate as it should have been. Never fear, this will be addressed immediately."

It was easy to see the how William's expression changed to a satisfied one at Byakuya's tone and words. Somehow, Byakuya had the feeling they were going to get along well and make the cooperation between their Divisions simpler.

"I also have to apologize, Kuchiki-taichou," William said, though it was clear the words were almost painful to him. "You had to meet with that embarrassment of a Shinigami on your first official visit. Please be assured that disciplinary action will be taken against him for his disrespect."

_That embarrassment of a Shinigami_ was obviously Sutcliff and Byakuya agreed with taking disciplinary actions. The man, if he could be called that, didn't only fail to address his superiors in a respectful manner, he also appeared to have no grasp on discretion or even a proper way of dressing. Had this been one of his subordinates, Byakuya would already have him cut down to size. Literally, probably.

But he had something else in mind.

"Apart from introducing myself, William, this visit serves another purpose," Byakuya continued once the silence had settled between them. "It has been decreed by Central 46 Chambers that all Divisions currently working in Soul Society need to undergo training in case of another emergency appearing. This includes the Dispatch Management Division."

William looked thoughtful for a moment, one of his hands moving from the surface of his desk to push his glass up.

"In case of another war, they mean."

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed.

William nodded, looking at Byakuya up and down. "Central 46 Chamber is aware, I expect, that we are not, indeed, fighters."

"They are, and that's were my Division comes into play. I am here to arrange the placement of the members of your Division in each of the Gotei-13 Divisions, where they will stay for a month and be trained in basic fighting skills."

William's mouth was pinched in an unhappy line by the end of Byakuya's explanation, his eyes narrowed directly at him. "This will set my Division's work back for at least a month."

Byakuya could understand where William's uneasiness was coming from, but an order was an order.

"I'm afraid this order comes straight from Central 46 Chambers," Byakuya insisted, fearing that as reasonable as William appeared to be, it was going to turn into a long discussion.

"I'm not questioning the order, not I intend to disobey," William said making Byakuya's brows climb up his forehead. "As long as it's understood that there will be no overtime allotted to make up for that month, nor will I put up with any complains about the backlog, my subordinates will undergo the training. I will as well, I suppose."

Byakuya allowed his lips to curl into a small smile. He definitely liked this William T. Spears. "Your demand is duly noted and I will make sure it is heeded. Now, you can choose any Division for your own training, and I have a suggestion for at least one of your subordinates."

William's lips curled into an answering smirk. "I will, of course, place myself in your Division, Kuchiki-taichou," he said looking straight at him. "And for that suggestion?"

Byakuya leaned slightly forward, feeling a bit like a conspirator. "Grell Sutcliff."

William arched one eyebrow, leaning forward as well to indicate that Byakuya had his entire attention. "Sutcliff?"

"He should be placed in the 11th Division."

"Is that the combat Division, the one led by Zaraki Kenpachi?" There was an edge in William's voice that called immediately to Byakuya, something like glee. He had obviously had the same idea.

"Yes, that's the one."

William leaned back on his chair, an air of satisfaction around him. "I think that's an excellent suggestion, Kuchiki-taichou."

Byakuya suddenly had the feeling it was going to be an interesting month with William around.

"You may call me Byakuya," he heard himself saying, reclining against his seat as well. "Since we're going to be working closely for the next month and we both hold the same rank."

William inclined his head graciously, stapling his hands on top of his desk. "Byakuya, then. Now, about the rest of the Shinigami-where would you place a shameless flirt?"

…


End file.
